A PETERSFIELD woman has kick-started this year's Poppy Appeal by making a poignant gesture to the Royal British Legion.

Doris O'Neill asked people to make a donation to the RBL following the sudden death of her husband, Colin, in July. Mr O'Neill wasn't a member but impressed the group on the many occasions he collected funds for the Poppy Appeal.

He was a "very competitive" collector, according to members, and often got up before dawn to sell poppies at Petersfield station.

Mrs O'Neill collected £90 after asking mourners to make a donation to the 2013 poppy appeal in her husband's memory.

The former traffic warden presented the cheque to street collector, John Salmon, when the Petersfield RBL tory, see this week's Petersfield Herald.